The Hindu Business Line : Sonia's choice

GIVEN THE NATURE of the election verdict, it was apparent from Day 1, that Ms Sonia Gandhi was the obvious candidate to head the new government and as such the option of ruling herself out of the race was available to her ever since the results started trickling in. On the face of it, therefore, the delayed announcement may reek of some political calculation. But against that must be set the fact that, at least in a technical sense, any talk of her declining the privilege of leading the country would be premature as long as there was no invitation from the President in the first place. Also the opportunity to assume the post of Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world is no small event. The natural instinct of any rational individual would be to grab it. In the event if some `inner voice' is urging one to reject it, it is only fair that one delays the decision till as long as is possible. Viewed thus, it would be churlish to deny the individual confronted with such a dilemma certain latitude in the timing of the decision.

But whether it was by design or by accident, there is no denying that the timing of Ms Sonia Gandhi's decision has brought certain strategic advantages for the Congress which should hold it in good stead five years down the road, when elections are due next. Between the announcement of results and her decision to renounce the chair, Ms Gandhi had succeeded in committing a whole range of pre- and post-poll allies to her leadership and, by extension, cemented the Congress' claims to nominate its candidate as the leader of the government. Had the announcement been made earlier, quite possibly her alliance partners may have either resisted her choice — Dr Manmohan Singh does after all suffer from the drawback of being the original architect of reforms and all the negative connotation that phrase has acquired in recent times besides being not quite the quintessential politician — or, worse, put forth their own nominee, not only from the traditional stock but also without any inclination to pursue the Congress agenda. True, they may have eventually come around to the Congress' point of view, but the process could have been lengthier and messier. In the event, the alternative presented by Ms Sonia Gandhi has had a relatively smooth passage (allowing for some theatrical display of emotion by party MPs) both within the Congress and among the allies. With the leadership issue settled to her satisfaction, Ms Gandhi can now concentrate on the task of rebuilding the party in those parts where either the BJP or regional outfits have made inroads at its expense. The party can certainly hope to harvest substantial benefits by her act of renunciation.

Few people enjoy the kind of image as a clean politician as Dr Manmohan Singh does. He has been chosen to lead his party's and the country's fortunes at a time when corruption in public administration has reached an all-time high. But it is going to take lot more than a clean image and a capacity to resist undue pressure to be effective in the cause of serving the public. But, then, Dr Manmohan Singh has an advantage. Few would accuse of him having lobbied for the post. He does not have to do anything against his better judgment, to keep it either.